Like nearly every sane person in this world, Wes Anderson considers it a mistake to rewrite Roald Dahl’s books to remove words that were once included by the British author and are now considered offensive. “No work should be modified by anyone other than the author himself, especially if the author is dead; And I don’t even like an artist making changes to his own work”. Presented at Anderson Mostra today ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’, This is not only his second movie of the year – he just released ‘Asteroid City’ two and a half months ago – but also his second adaptation after a masterful story by Dahl. ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ (2009). In just 37 minutes, the footage tells the story of a rich man who discovers the story of a guru who can see without using his eyes, and decides to develop the same skill to scam casinos.
As a matter of fact, looking at the new movie, it is not right that it is an adaptation, because it is more about the subject. Almost word for word telling of the storyIt was first published in 1977. Thinking about this offers the feeling of participating in a live theatrical performance, where sets and props change in real time, and by addressing the camera directly, actors act as narrators and characters at the same time as they speak. It’s customary in Anderson’s cinema, full speed.
Players include: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend and Richard Ayoade, Given that, among other actors, the film is a Netflix production and Netflix is one of the few studios accused of being guilty of the current actor strike in the United States, none of them have accompanied Anderson today. Presentation of the film in the competition.
The director will also receive the Filmmaker’s Triumph, an honorary award given to writers who have made remarkable artistic contributions to contemporary cinema, this evening at Mostra. Much of what he’s made into a label over the course of his career is of course present in ‘Henry Sugar’s great story’, but in smaller doses of course: stories within a story within a story, perfect compositions full of details, hieraticism, which barely manages to hide a deep melancholy.
Ultimately, the new film confirms what a beautiful artistic partnership Anderson and Dahl have forged, and so it’s great news that Anderson has already completed this project, as he said today in Venice. Three more short films on Netflix Based on the author’s two stories: ‘The Swan’, ‘Venom’ and ‘Mouse Remover’. “And I think I’m going to get tired of Dahl for now,” he says.